[Real Beat] Changing Office Scenes... Why Start Experiments Now?

Office Shift① The Revolutionary Culture Changed by COVID-19

Editor's Note[Jjinbit] is a shortened form of 'Jeong Hyeonjin's Business Trend' and 'Real Business Trend,' a segment that showcases trends in the changing nature of work. The segment within Jjinbit called 'Office Shift' closely examines the changes in offices triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to lay the groundwork for finding answers to new work styles through the experiments we have conducted together so far.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyeonjin] #1. "Work from home? Ah, not today?" One weekday afternoon in January this year, I witnessed a woman who appeared to be in her 60s on a bus asking someone on the phone this question. The naturally uttered word 'jaetaek' is a shortened form of 'jaetaek geumu' (work from home), and she was asking if the other person was working from home. There was no hesitation or awkward pause usually seen when using unfamiliar words, nor was there a one-second gap that often occurs when people use words they don't normally say.

#2. In September 2022, Mr. A, a man in his 30s who had been an office worker until a few months ago and then became a startup CEO, lamented, "I can't see what my employees are doing, so it's frustrating now." He said that when he was an employee, he was annoyed by his boss constantly contacting him while he was working from home, but now he finds himself continuously messaging his employees. He finds it difficult to confirm whether they are actually working or doing their jobs properly. However, he said it is not easy to demand that employees come to the office.

#3. Mr. B, who works at a domestic IT company, said he "cannot accept" the news that the company will switch from work-from-home to office-based work starting January this year. He confirmed that even under the work-from-home system, the company's sales increased and that he could work anywhere with just a laptop. Although he often works overtime at home until after midnight, he cannot accept the sudden demand to come to the office. He pointed out, "Isn't it enough to just deliver the results?" and added, "Unreasonable demands only further reduce trust in the company."

COVID-19 revolutionized our office scenes and work culture. The above cases are experiences the reporter encountered regarding work-from-home over the past six months. The term 'work from home,' meaning working at home instead of the office, has permeated our daily lives. This is because office workers who used to commute to the office experienced working from home due to the global emergency caused by the pandemic. After the initial phase of COVID-19, which was expected to be a short-term temporary measure, the world has now participated in this experiment for nearly three years. Through this, the new work style of working from home, which was once an unclear concept, has moved beyond the realm of possibility and become a reality.

The problem is that confusion continues on the ground. Since the beginning of this year, numerous articles have reported reductions in work-from-home both domestically and internationally. The emergency caused by the pandemic has ended, so measures are being taken to return to the office as before COVID-19. Even Silicon Valley companies, famous for adopting innovative work styles, are ordering employees to return to the office amid concerns about economic recession and consecutive layoffs. Does this mean our work styles are reverting to pre-COVID-19 times?

At Kakao, which declared the introduction of an 'Office First' policy prioritizing office attendance starting March this year, conflicts arose between the company and employees. Within a month of the announcement, the Kakao labor union membership rate surged from 40% to about 50%. The union pointed out that employees are dissatisfied with "unilateral and principle-less changes to the work system and the resulting uncertainty in the work environment." They especially criticized the decision to change the work system as an "irrational decision without principles." The conflicts between companies and employees over office returns seen in the US and other countries have also occurred domestically.

For this reason, the US, which has been promoting office returns since last year, is increasingly adopting 'hybrid work' that combines work-from-home and office work. Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford University professor who has researched work-from-home for nearly 20 years, said in an interview with the reporter last November, "There is a big difference between requiring employees to come to the office three days a week and demanding full five-day office attendance," adding, "No major company is demanding a full return to the office."

In fact, Starbucks, which declared office returns in January this year, instructed employees to come to the office three days a week. Employees are required to attend the Seattle headquarters three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and another day set by the team. Disney also requires employees to spend four days a week in the office from Monday to Thursday, allowing work-from-home on Fridays. Vanguard, the world's second-largest asset management company, also ordered office returns on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The only company that announced a full five-day office attendance is Twitter, led by CEO Elon Musk.

Amid this confusion, the key point to focus on is the shift in perception regarding the work environment. Through experiencing COVID-19, workers have begun to place greater importance on work-life balance, or 'Wolbal,' and well-being. To secure this, it has become important to have the flexibility to choose one's work environment directly. Experts evaluate that since a fundamental shift in perception has occurred, it will not be easy to return to past work styles.

Additionally, a fundamental change in the labor market era is underway. The emergence of the MZ generation, whose values differ from those of existing office workers, is notable. In particular, the Z generation, born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, is growing up and entering the labor market. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Z generation is expected to account for 27% of workers in OECD countries by 2025. Cases of conflict between the MZ generation and older generations in the workplace have been pouring in for several years.

This is why it is essential to seriously consider what the appropriate work style is in the corporate field. It is not just about deciding to introduce work-from-home or how many days to work from home, but about closely examining the work environment in detail and discussing changes that can improve efficiency, productivity, and employee satisfaction. To this end, we will look at how our work environment has changed due to COVID-19, what facts we have confirmed through our experiments so far, and what changes are needed going forward. This process is not merely a reflection on the work environment but also a fundamental questioning of what work means to us.